Turn Up the Light

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

Several years ago, on a mission trip to Central America, my family took a couple of hours out to visit a local cave. Cave tours in Central America are not like those back home in Arkansas. There were no steps, ropes or tour guides. There’s just you and a flashlight (if you remember to bring one). Our missionary friend would serve as our guide on this adventure. A few hundred feet into the cave, my husband and I decided to sit out the rest of the “tour” while the kids went on ahead with our friend. We sat on a cold, damp rock for a few minutes, then turned our flashlights completely off. We sat in the darkness for a while waiting for our eyes to adjust, but if there is no light, your eyes will never be able to adjust. To see anything at all in the ”so-called” darkness, there must be, at the very least, a minimal amount of light.

The Bible says we are the light of the world. That means without you and me there is only darkness. There is no adjusting to the light if there is no light. But even we have no light in ourselves. We are merely vessels for the true Light. 

It may seem like there is more darkness in the world these days, but there is really no such thing as more darkness, since darkness is the absence of light. Once we turned off the light in that cave, it never got any darker. It was instantly and completely dark. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew that we have to let our light shine before men so they may glorify our Father in heaven. 

When the darkness comes flooding in, we need to turn up the light. When others tear people down with their words, speak kindness. When others sow hatred, sow love. When others walk away from people in need, lend a helping hand. Darkness is everywhere, but you are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. It’s up to you to turn up the light.